Source: Tayyar.org, 10-6-2009

The Change and Reform bloc held its first meeting since the elections, headed by General Michel Aoun. Following the meeting, which was staged in Rabieh, General Aoun talked to the press in the presence of all the members of the bloc and the other blocs that joined him:
Welcome to the first meeting of the Change and Reform bloc.

This was the first event following the formation of the new parliament and was an introductory one to corroborate the unity and solidarity of the opposition during the coming stage. During the meeting, we addressed the issue of partnership in the government and everyone insisted on a proportional representation. We also looked into the flaws and violations which affected the elections, and despite of which we won over the alliance of political money with the remnant groups that are collapsing on the political arena.

We have beaten the international bodies that operated abroad and gathered a massive number of voters. Despite all that, Mount Lebanon has stood fast and we have won the battle in Zgharta and Jezzine, thus connecting the North to the South. Today, we are corroborating the unity of Lebanon and the opposition and the continuation of our program.

Certainly, some expected the victory to be wider, but we will launch our reform program and let its delay be due to the non-cooperation of the majority. This is what I have to say for this stage, and we have not yet started the stage of opposition or participation. We are still waiting for the talks to begin...

After OTV aired the direct threats made by Deputy Michel el-Murr against the Syriac sect and Father Akari, what are the steps you will undertake and will you file an appeal?

AOUN: Of course. This will be the first test for the constitutional council and someone will be removed. Will this institution operate as it should? We will file an appeal. The problem has two facets. One is criminal and related to abduction and the other is constitutional and features bribery, the detention of a citizen and his prevention from exercising his constitutional political rights. These things will be included in the appeal file and we will win.

How do you interpret the Free Patriotic Movement's loss in Koura, Batroun, Achrafieh and Zahle and its retreat in Mount Lebanon?
AOUN: We had 70% of the votes and had nothing in the government. Now we have 27 deputies which means our percentage has increased, so how have we lost? We achieved all that despite all the international interference and the rallying of the big leaders against us under the slogan that Aoun should be toppled at all costs.
On the eve of the elections and as the law prevented the candidates from addressing the voters, the Patriarch delivered a statement, which was said to have affected Christian public opinion.

Do you believe this worked against General Aoun?
AOUN: Not necessarily. He defined the threat to the Lebanese entity.

The Change and Reform bloc won seven additional seats in the parliament, but do you consider that the opposition won or lost? Your opponents are saying you cannot be a Christian leader if you are against Bkirki and against the president of the republic.
AOUN: I am neither against the president nor against Bkirki, even though they are against me. You should ask them why.

But did the opposition win or lose?
AOUN: The opposition did not win the parliamentary majority but still holds the popular majority. Yesterday, An-Nahar carried false figures saying that 58% of the Christians are with the loyalists. How long will this newspaper continue to spread lies? Where are the apparatuses responsible for the statistics?...

You talked about relative participation in the coming government while there is a refusal to grant the blocking third. Are we facing a crisis? And will you elect Speaker Berri as the head of the coming parliamentary council?
AOUN: Is there any other candidate? As for the government issue, they are entitled to refuse and we are entitled to propose. If they want to go back to any type of crisis, that is their problem and not ours.

Do you now support the idea of a centrist bloc for the president and could the Change and Reform bloc play that role?
AOUN: We are not centrists. We are reformists in favour of change. We have a program and a project and the president could join us in this reform project because it neither aims at generating illicit gains nor at establishing a commercial project. It is not like Solidere Beirut which is selling stocks and using its influence to secure the issuance of decrees that would increase its gains and improve the status of its stocks. We have a major project covering all the Lebanese territories and serving all the Lebanese...

Do you support the president of the republic?
AOUN: What is his program so I can support him? We are suggesting the amendment of the prerogatives so that the president can play a positive role. Or else he could play the role of a consensus president...

It was said you did not win with Christian votes and that you could no longer say you represent the majority of the Christians.
AOUN: When I represented 70% of the Christians, I was not in power. If they recognized that I used to represent 70% and that I now represented 50%, this means we are still a Christian majority. I do not have to give figures. Alone, I represent as much as all the others put together...

Are you in favor of giving the president the blocking third and the nomination of Al-Hariri as prime minister?
AOUN: We are in favor of granting the blocking third to the president in accordance with the constitution and we will be the spearhead in the ratification of this law. Anything else would be a political maneuver to fight the opposition or fight us. Neither we nor the parliament will be used for this purpose.

Between Al-Hariri and Al-Siniora, whom would you support?
AOUN: We bring the original. Why bring the fake?